Hi, new to electronics and just wondering what "d" signifies (v=dw/dq, i=dq/dt), it’s beginning to bug me. Why write it in if it doesn't have a purpose, I'm guessing at polarity, but as I say that is a guess. So if someone could enlighten me, Thanks.

Here that "d" is not a variable but an operator for a calculus process to get what is basically the rate of change of an expression or function. It is a shorthand way, and it left out the dependent variable, or what the function changes by.

The full expression may perhaps better be written as:

i = d/dt ( q(t) )

Where q is some function of t or time. Now the d thingies stand out better as an opperator.

The "d" is calculus notation for change or differentiation. V="change of" W with respect to "change of" Q.
It is standard notation of a differential expression.

Click to expand...

Thanks. Bought an arduino 3 months ago and it still in it box. Thought I had better study some basic electronics first, now I'm studying mathematics. Going to have to get my head around calculus. Have to say, total intrigued by it all, hopefully in 3 more months I will understand that concept. Thanks for the help.

I never tried it, but I believe self-teaching could be a difficult way to learn calculus. It was hard enough with a teacher. But maybe a well-written introduction would be better than a so-so teacher. Hmmm...

It's often useful to think of the derivative, such as dy/dx, as the slope of the curve when you plot the function y = ƒ(x). If that's a straight line, then dy/dx = ∆y/∆x = slope of y versus x. For anything else, the derivative is an instantaneous measure of the slope at a particular spot on the curve.

Lower case version of 'delta', Greek symbol 'd', Capital Case 'Δ', meaning 'Change'.
In the case of dv / dt, it is a ratio of an infinitely small change in quantity of voltage, measured over an infinitely small change in quantity of time.
Strangely, using Newtons method, v(t) = t[squared] + c so dv(t) / dt = 2.t. Somehow, an infinitely small value divided by another infinitely small value can have a finite value ?

John, I am going to assume that you are an old timer just getting into electronics and didn't do Calculus in school.

As others have already stated, d is a substitute for Δ, (Greek letter meaning delta), and represents "change".

Suppose you want to build a flight of steps and you want a certain slope or incline. In layman's terms the incline is calculated as "raise over run".
That is, we divide the height of the riser by the depth of the tread.

incline = riser / depth

If we use symbols,
x = depth
y = riser

then

incline = y/x

Now, suppose your house is built on a hill.
We can compute the slope or incline up the hill from the public road in the similar manner:

incline = difference in elevation / distance to the house on a horizontal plane

This is similar to:

incline = y/x

Now, suppose the hill has a varying slope and we a want to measure the slope where it passes that tree.
We take a yardstick (or metre rule) and measure the slope at the vicinity of the tree.

Here we use

incline = Δy/Δx

where Δy is the difference in elevation and Δx is the distance along the horizontal.

(For the very observant reader, note that the Δx measurement must be made on a level plane.)
I know this isn't the greatest analogy but it's the best I can come up with.

In Calculus, we make Δy and Δx as small as possible, down to an inch, centimetre or even millimetre.
As we make the measurements to the smallest amount that is practical, we replace Δy and Δx with dy and dx,

Hence the slope = dy/dx represents the exact slope at that precise location.

The point here is the slope = dy/dx changes from place to place and represents the mathematical expression that describes how the slope varies along the entire path.

Lower case version of 'delta', Greek symbol 'd', Capital Case 'Δ', meaning 'Change'.
In the case of dv / dt, it is a ratio of an infinitely small change in quantity of voltage, measured over an infinitely small change in quantity of time.
Strangely, using Newtons method, v(t) = t[squared] + c so dv(t) / dt = 2.t. Somehow, an infinitely small value divided by another infinitely small value can have a finite value ?

Click to expand...

Yes, that infinitely small value is the slope of what would be a line between those two points that are separated by an infinitely small distance.

The preliminary terror, which chokes off most fifth-form boys from even attempting to learn how to calculate, can be abolished once for all by simply stating what is the meaning—in common-sense terms—of the two principal symbols that are used in calculating. These dreadful symbols are: (1) d which merely means “a little bit of.” Thus dx means a little bit of x; or du means a little bit of u. Ordinary mathematicians think it more polite to say “an element of,” instead of “a little bit of.” Just as you please. But you will find that these little bits (or elements) may be considered to be indefinitely small.

From an even less educated point of view...
dy/dx is the slope of the line, or the tangent of the angle.
If you don't know calculus, R=E/I
If you do know calculus, R = dE/dI
Most of the time, you can hack out the result with algebra, and rarely, a bit of trig.
Call me uneducated.
I only passed one semester of calculus and my brain never converted to thinking in those terms.